Should You Buy, Sell or Hold CrowdStrike Stock Before Q3 Earnings?

Core Insights - CrowdStrike is set to report its third-quarter fiscal 2026 results on December 2, 2025, with anticipated revenues between $1.208 billion and $1.218 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 20.2% [1][9] - The expected non-GAAP earnings per share for the same quarter is between 93 cents and 95 cents, indicating a year-over-year increase of 1.1% [2][9] - CrowdStrike has consistently beaten earnings estimates in the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 14.7% [3] Revenue and Earnings Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CrowdStrike's fiscal third-quarter revenues is pegged at $1.21 billion [1] - The consensus estimate for earnings stands at 94 cents, unchanged over the past 60 days [2] Growth Drivers - Demand for CrowdStrike's cybersecurity products is expected to benefit from the increasing number of cyber threats globally [6] - The Falcon Flex subscription model is a significant growth driver, contributing to a total annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $4.66 billion, a 20% increase from the previous year [7][9] - The Next-Gen Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) has seen a remarkable growth of over 95% in ARR during Q2, reaching more than $430 million [10] Customer Adoption and Contracts - CrowdStrike has over 1,000 Falcon Flex customers, with more than 100 signing follow-on "re-Flex" deals, which can boost ARR by nearly 50% [8] - The company has secured major deals, including an eight-figure re-Flex agreement with a Fortune 500 software company, indicating strong enterprise demand [19] Financial Performance and Valuation - Year-to-date, CrowdStrike's shares have increased by 46.9%, outperforming the Zacks Security industry, which returned 12.1% [13] - CrowdStrike is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 22.41, significantly higher than the industry average of 12 [16][18] Cost Considerations - Rising costs are a concern, with R&D expenses increasing twelvefold and Sales & Marketing expenses rising nearly ninefold over the last six fiscal years [20] - Despite the expectation that these investments will yield long-term benefits, higher expenses may impact the company's bottom line [20] Conclusion - CrowdStrike's leadership in AI-driven cybersecurity solutions positions it well for future growth, but rising costs and premium valuation suggest a cautious investment approach [21]